HP Workstation xw4100 User manual

HP Workstations for Linux
User Guide
SUMMARY
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Part number: 448676-006
Fifth Edition: September 2009

Table of contents
1 Linux on HP Workstations
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ..................................................................................................................... 1
Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise .............................................................................................................. 2
Warranty ............................................................................................................................................... 2
Graphics cards ..................................................................................................................................... 2
System RAM ........................................................................................................................................ 2
Audio .................................................................................................................................................... 3
Network cards ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Hyper-threading .................................................................................................................................... 3
NUMA ................................................................................................................................................... 3
2 HP Installer Kit for Red Hat Linux
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 5
HP Driver CDs ...................................................................................................................................... 9
Description ........................................................................................................................... 9
Installing with the HP Driver CD ........................................................................................ 10
Installing with the HP Installer Kit for Linux ....................................................................................... 10
3 HP Installer Kit for Novell
Obtaining the HP Enhancement CD for Linux .................................................................................... 11
Restoring Novell SLED ....................................................................................................................... 12
Creating restore media ..................................................................................................... 12
4 Linux graphics for HP workstations
Linux graphics drivers for HP workstations ........................................................................................ 13
NVIDIA® Graphics Workstations ........................................................................................................ 13
X Server configuration ....................................................................................................... 13
SLI Graphics Acceleration ................................................................................................. 14
Xinerama / NVIDIA TwinView ............................................................................................ 14
30-bit (10-bit-per-channel) X Visuals ................................................................................. 14
AMD® / ATI graphics workstations ..................................................................................................... 15
Troubleshooting .................................................................................................................................. 16
5 Software RAID in HP Linux workstations
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 17
Software RAID considerations ........................................................................................................... 17
ENWW iii

Performance considerations ............................................................................................................... 17
Configuring software RAID ................................................................................................................. 18
6 Installing and configuring SAS hardware RAID
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 19
Supported Configurations ................................................................................................................... 20
LSI 3041E and Integrated LSI 1064/1068 Setup ................................................................................ 20
LSI 8344ELP and LSI 8888ELP Setup ............................................................................................... 24
Additional RAID Information ............................................................................................................... 31
7 Links
Appendix A Appendix—HP release notes for Linux operating systems
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 35
Customer advisories for Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS 3 .................................................................. 36
Customer advisories for Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS 4 ................................................................. 39
Customer advisories for Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client 5 .............................................................. 42
Customer advisories for SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 ............................................................ 44
iv ENWW

1 Linux on HP Workstations
Introduction
This document describes the supported use of the Linux® operating system on HP Workstations. HP
offers a variety of Linux solutions for HP Workstation customers:
●HP certifies and supports versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) on HP Workstations.
●HP certifies versions of Novell SUSE® Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED) and Server (SLES) on
HP workstations.
●HP offers a Novell SLED 11 preload on the 400 and xw4600 Workstations.
For information about Linux on HP Workstations:
1. See http://www.hp.com/linux/.
2. Select Certification & Support in the Platforms and distributions section.
3. Select Workstations.
4. Choose the appropriate tab for the desired distribution.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
The HP 400, 600, and 800 Workstations are certified and supported on RHEL 4.7 and RHEL 5.3,
both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Other HP Workstation models are certified on various versions of RHEL.
For details of RHEL support on HP Workstations please refer to the Hardware Support Matrix for HP
Linux Workstations at http://www.hp.com/support/linux_hardware_matrix.
HP offers the HP Linux Installer Kit to facilitate installation of certified RHEL versions on HP
Workstations. This kit contains tested drivers which augment and/or replace (as necessary) those found
in RHEL to enable proper use and behavior on HP Workstations. This kit does not include the RHEL
operating system, which must be purchased from Red Hat.
The HP Linux Installer Kit is available as an operating system option on all HP Workstations. The
contents of the Linux Installer Kit are also available for download at http://www.hp.com/go/
workstationsupport.
HP offers a preload option based on FreeDOS which includes the HP Linux Installer Kit DVD media.
This operating system option accommodates those who have a customized Linux distribution, or who
have licensed versions of RHEL and would like to install the HP-recommended driver additions.
For information about Red Hat certifications on HP workstations, see https://hardware.redhat.com/.
ENWW Introduction 1

Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise
HP offers a 64-bit SLED 11 preload on 400 and xw4600 Workstations, and supports both 32-bit and
64-bit SLED 11 on these Workstations.
Other HP Workstation models are certified on various versions of SLED and SLES. For information
about Novell certifications on HP Workstations, refer to the Novell certification bulletin search page at
http://developer.novell.com/yessearch/. Novell provides support for certified versions of SLED and
SLES on HP Workstations.
Warranty
As part of the HP Workstation hardware warranty, HP provides software configuration and installation
support for certified versions of Red Hat Linux for up to 90 days from date of purchase.
HP provides configuration and installation support for SLED 11 on 400 and xw4600 workstations for
up to 90 days from date of purchase. Novell also provides support for all versions of SLED or SLES that
are certified on HP Workstations.
Graphics cards
HP Workstations can be ordered without a graphics card, or with numerous cards that have been through
extensive verification by HP. See the Hardware Support Matrix for HP Linux Workstations at
http://www.hp.com/support/linux_hardware_matrix for a complete list of cards supported on HP
Workstations.
NOTE: Not all graphics cards are available on every workstation. Limitations generally occur for cards
that consume large amounts of power in lower-power workstations.
Proprietary graphics drivers that are supported by HP and the graphics vendors are available with the
HP Linux Installer Kit, with the SLED 11 preload on the xw4600 and 400, and from HP Workstation
Support at http://www.hp.com/go/workstationsupport.
These proprietary drivers are not a standard part of the RHEL, SLED, or SLES distributions because
they are not open source. More recent drivers are supported directly by the vendor.
System RAM
HP supports different amounts of total RAM in various HP Workstations based on the number of
hardware DIMM slots and the capabilities of the system. The total memory supported for each
configuration is listed in the Hardware Support Matrix for HP Linux Workstations at http://www.hp.com/
support/linux_hardware_matrix.
2 Chapter 1 Linux on HP Workstations ENWW

Audio
All HP Workstations come with built-in audio hardware. The audio hardware is supported by Advanced
Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) sound drivers included with all modern Linux distributions.
The audio hardware provides basic playback and recording features. The ability to simultaneously play
audio from multiple sources, such as applications and CDROM, is provided by software mixing
functionality in the ALSA driver. The performance of software audio mixing and playback functionality
is greatly improved in ALSA version 1.0.13 and later drivers.
Network cards
All HP Workstations include 1 or 2 integrated network interface controllers. Specific network interface
controller cards are also supported as optional devices. Please refer to the Hardware Support Matrix
for HP Linux Workstations at http://www.hp.com/support/linux_hardware_matrix for details on which
cards are supported.
Hyper-threading
The 400, 600, and 800 Workstations support Intel Hyper-Threading Technology. This technology
can provide performance benefits in certain situations.
Hyper-Threading is enabled in the system BIOS. As the system is booting, press F10 to enter the BIOS
Setup Utility. Select Advanced > Processors. Use the arrow keys to set Hyper-Threading to Enable,
and then press F10 to exit the menu. Select the File > Save Changes and Exit. Hyper-Threading is
enabled when the system is restarted.
On most recent Linux distributions including RHEL 5.3, SLED/SLES 10 SP2, and SLED/SLES 11, the
kernel will automatically detect that Hyper-Threading is enabled and work correctly. Certain older Linux
distributions such as RHEL 4.7 require the use of the largesmp kernel for Hyper-Threading support on
dual-socket quad core 600 and 800 configurations.
NUMA
Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) is available on the 600, 800, and xw9400 Workstations.
NUMA offers the potential to improve memory bandwidth and latency for multi-process or multi-threaded
applications or workloads. Observed performance improvements depend on the operating system,
customer workload, system configuration, and the degree to which the applications used are designed
to be NUMA-aware/efficient.
NUMA requires that both processor sockets be populated, and installed memory should be balanced
between both processors for maximum performance.
NUMA is enabled if Memory Node Interleave is disabled in the system BIOS. As the system is booting,
press F10 to enter the BIOS Setup Utility. Select Advanced > Chipset/Memory. Use the arrow keys
to set Memory Node Interleave to Disable. Press F10 to exit the menu. Select File > Save Changes
and Exit. NUMA is enabled when the system is restarted.
The 600 and 800 BIOS also provide a NUMA Split Mode option, which must be set to Disable when
running Linux.
On most recent 64-bit Linux distributions, including RHEL 5.3, SLED/SLES 10 SP2, and SLED/SLES
11, the kernel automatically detects that NUMA is enabled. Certain older 64-bit Linux distributions such
as RHEL 4.7 require the use of the numa=acpi kernel parameter on the 600 and 800 Workstations.
ENWW Audio 3

4 Chapter 1 Linux on HP Workstations ENWW

2 HP Installer Kit for Red Hat Linux
Introduction
The HP Installer Kit for Linux enables you to install Red Hat Linux on HP workstations. The kit provides
updated drivers, tools, and an operating system to enable HP hardware with various Linux operating
system versions. This kit does not include the RHEL operating system, which must purchased from Red
Hat.
This document discusses the CDs (ISOs) contained in the HP Installer Kit for Linux, the platforms, and
how to download the CDs (ISOs) from the HP support website.
For information on driver updates and HPIKL images:
1. See https://www.hp.com/support/.
2. Select the desired country.
3. Select Download drivers and software...
4. Enter the desired platform and select >>.
5. Select the desired operating system.
6. Select the desired package.
7. Download the associated package and install as directed.
Table 2-1 Red Hat Linux supported hardware platforms
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Desktop (x86)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Desktop (x86–64)
Revision Supported Red
Hat update
Supported hardware
platforms
CDs (ISOs) in the HP Installer Kit for Linux
Rev. A Update 0 xw4400
xw4600
xw6400
xw8400
xw9400
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 5
ENWW Introduction 5

Update 1
Rev. B
Update 1 xw4400
xw4550
xw4600
xw6400
xw6600
xw8400
xw8600
xw9400
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 5
Update 2
Rev. B
Update 2 xw4550
xw4600
xw6600
xw8600
xw9400
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 5
Update 3
Rev. C
Update 3 xw4600
xw6600
xw8600
xw9400
Z400
Z600
Z800
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 5
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 (x86)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 (AMD64 / EM64T)
Revision Supported Red
Hat update
Supported hardware
platforms
CDs (ISOs) in the HP Installer Kit for Linux
Update 1
Rev. A
Update 1 xw4200
xw4300
xw6200
xw8200
xw9300
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 4
HP Installer Kit for Linux—Red Hat Drivers Disk for RHEL 4
Update 2
Rev. A
Update 2 xw4200
xw4300
xw6200
xw8200
xw9300
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 4
Table 2-1 Red Hat Linux supported hardware platforms (continued)
6 Chapter 2 HP Installer Kit for Red Hat Linux ENWW

Update 3
Rev. A
Update 3 xw4300
xw6200
xw6400
xw8200
xw8400
xw9300
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 4
Update 4
Rev. A
Update 4 xw4300
xw4400
xw6200
xw6400
xw8200
xw8400
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 4
Update 5
Rev. A
Update 5 xw4400
xw4600
xw6400
xw8400
xw9400
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 4
Update 6
Rev. B
Update 6 xw4400
xw4550
xw4600
xw6400
xw6600
xw8400
xw8600
xw9400
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 4
Update 7
Rev. B
Update 7 xw4550
xw4600
xw6600
xw8600
xw9400
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 4
Update 8
Rev. C
Update 8 xw4600
xw6600
xw8600
xw9400
Z400
Z600
Z800
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 4
Table 2-1 Red Hat Linux supported hardware platforms (continued)
ENWW Introduction 7

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 (x86)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 (AMD64 / EM64T)
Revision Supported Red
Hat update
Supported hardware
platforms
CDs (ISOs) in the HP Installer Kit for Linux
Update 1
Rev. B
Update 1 xw4100
xw6000
xw8000
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 3
Update 2
Rev. A
Update 2 xw4200
xw6200
xw8200
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 3
HP Installer Kit for Linux—Red Hat Drivers Disk for RHEL 3
Update 4
Rev. A
Update 4 xw4200
xw6200
xw8200
xw9300
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 3
Update 5
Rev. B
Update 5
Rev. A
Update 5 xw4200
xw4300
xw6200
xw8200
xw9300
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 3
HP Installer Kit for Linux—Red Hat Drivers Disk for RHEL 3
Update 5
Rev. B
Update 6 xw4200
xw4300
xw6200
xw8200
xw9300
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 3
Update 7
Rev. B
Update 7 xw4300
xw6200
xw6400
xw8200
xw8400
xw9300
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 3
Update 8
Rev. A
Update 8 xw4300
xw4400
xw6200
xw6400
xw8200
xw8400
xw9300
xw9400
HP Installer Kit for Linux—HP Driver CD for RHEL 3
Table 2-1 Red Hat Linux supported hardware platforms (continued)
8 Chapter 2 HP Installer Kit for Red Hat Linux ENWW

HP Driver CDs
Description
HP supports multiple versions of Red Hat Linux on HP xw and Workstation series. The supported
versions include Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS 3 (RHEL WS 3), RHEL WS 4, and RHEL Desktop 5.
To provide flexibility in installing the Red Hat operating system version, HP has created Driver CDs.
These CDs are included in the HP Installer Kit for Linux. The CD images (ISOs) for these CDs can be
downloaded from the HP support website at http://www.hp.com/go/ workstationsupport.
The Installer Kit does not include the operating system, so you must download the operating system
from the web or purchase a Red Hat box-set with the Red Hat version to be used with the Driver CD.
To view the existing Installation Support Matrix for HP Linux workstations and the supported
configurations and operating systems, see http://www.hp.com/support/linux_hardware_matrix.
HP provides a Driver CD for a Red Hat Enterprise Linux version when the amount of content added by
HP for drivers and other software packages (called RPMs) is small, and not as critical as when HP
provides an Installer CD. Recent versions of Red Hat Linux include the most recent device drivers and
typically only require up-to-date driver updates with minor fixes to support HP workstations. These recent
releases can usually be supported using the Driver CD. This Driver CD can be used as a post-installation
utility for the standard Red Hat Linux install.
After the standard Red Hat install is complete and the system is restarted, a Red Hat first-boot utility is
invoked to set up the security level, time and date, root password, user accounts, and other settings.
The last thing that first-boot does is enable you to load additional CDs.
The Driver CD is designed for use during this additional CD phase. (Refer to Installing with the HP
Installer Kit for Linux. ) All the content added by HP is in the /HP directory on the CD. You can use it to
build your own image or to browse the HP content.
HP provides Driver CDs for various RHEL versions. The Driver CDs include software packages (called
RPMs) that enable or enhance the functionality or performance of RHEL on HP Workstations.
ENWW HP Driver CDs 9

Installing with the HP Driver CD
Install the operation system using the CDs included in the Red Hat Linux box-set.
1. If there is a Red Hat Driver Disk that corresponds to the Red Hat Linux operating system that is
being installed, enter linux dd on the initial install splash screen, and then press Enter.
NOTE: You must enter linux dd before pressing Enter.
2. When asked if you have a driver CD, select Yes. Place the Red Hat Driver Disk in the drive, and
select the appropriate drive:hd[abcd]. Continue the normal installation.
3. After successfully installing the Red Hat Linux operating system, reboot the workstation.
The Red Hat Setup Agent (also known as first-boot) now sets up system parameters such as
networking, time/date, and adding new users.
4. Insert the HP Driver CD.
5. When prompted, select Install for the Additional CD option. This process initializes the system with
HP Driver CD components.
6. When the driver installation task is completed, continue following the prompts until the operating
system is successfully installed.
7. Reboot the workstation to enable post-installation driver configuration.
Installing with the HP Installer Kit for Linux
To install using the HP Driver CD:
1. Install the operation system using the CDs included in the Red Hat Linux box-set.
2. If there is a Red Hat Driver Disk that corresponds to the Red Hat Linux operating system that is
being installed, enter linux dd on the initial install splash screen and then press Enter.
NOTE: (Do not press Enter only, without first entering linux dd.)
3. When asked if you have a driver CD, select Yes. Place the Red Hat Driver Disk in the drive, and
select the appropriate drive:hd[abcd]. Continue the normal installation.
4. After successfully installing the Red Hat Linux operating system, restart the workstation.
5. The Red Hat Setup Agent (also known as first-boot) will set up system parameters such as
networking, time/date, adding new users, etc.
6. Complete this process. The Additional CDs screen displays, and you initialize the system with HP
Driver CD components.
7. Insert the HP Driver CD.
8. When prompted, select Install for the Additional CD option.
9. When the driver installation task is completed, finish the first-boot setup.
10. Continue following the prompts until the operating system is successfully installed.
11. Restart the workstation to enable the proper post-installation driver configuration.
10 Chapter 2 HP Installer Kit for Red Hat Linux ENWW

3 HP Installer Kit for Novell
HP provides an HP Installer Kit for SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 CD. This CD includes software
packages (called RPMs) that enable or enhance the functionality or performance of SLED 11 on the
400 and xw4600 Workstations. The contents of this CD are included in the SLED 11 preload on these
workstations. The CD is useful for installing a copy of SLED 11, or for restoring the SLED 11 preload
on the 400 and xw4600 Workstations.
After the operating system has been installed, insert the HP Driver CD included with the workstation or
downloaded from http://www.hp.com/support.
The content added by HP is in the /HP directory on the CD. You can use it to build an image or to browse
the HP content.
Obtaining the HP Enhancement CD for Linux
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 (x86)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 (AMD64/ EM64T)
Revision Supported HW Platforms HP Enhancement CD’s (ISO’s)
11 Rev. A xw4600 and Z400 HP Workstation Enhancements for SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11
11 Rev. B xw4600
xw6600
xw8600
xw9400
Z400
Z600
Z800
HP Installer Kit for Linux - HP Driver CD for SLED11
To obtain the HP Installer Kit CD for Linux from the HP support website:
1. See http://www.hp.com/go/workstationsupport.
2. Select the desired workstation.
3. Select Download drivers and software in the Tasks for… section.
4. Select the desired operating system.
5. Select Software in the Quick jump to downloads by category section.
6. Download the ISO title.
7. Untar the ISOs. (Use a command such as: tar -zxf<filename>).
ENWW Obtaining the HP Enhancement CD for Linux 11

Restoring Novell SLED
The SLED restore media is required to restore the Linux operating system.
Creating restore media
THE SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop preload includes a SUSE ISO icon on the desktop. Select this
icon to go to the /iso directory. The /iso directory contains all iso images used to preload the workstation.
Open the file that contains the instructions to create and restore the SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop
at /iso/ReadMe, or select the SUSE ISO icon.
12 Chapter 3 HP Installer Kit for Novell ENWW

4 Linux graphics for HP workstations
This chapter provides an overview of accelerated graphics solutions for HP Workstations running the
Linux operating system and the X.org X Window System. It covers vendor-specific driver configuration
utilities, system functionality, and support information for workstation users. This chapter assumes
familiarity with Linux configuration, basic X server usage, window managers, and essential video
graphics card fundamentals such as PCI Express versus PCI, VGA versus DVI connectors, and 3D
versus 2D accelerated graphics.
Linux graphics drivers for HP workstations
While Linux distributions offer graphics support within their packaging, HP recommends using the
accelerated device drivers available for its workstations at http://www.hp.com or support media included
with the products. These drivers enable the latest features for supported and are quality tested for
specific enterprise Linux distributions. They are available with the HP Linux Installer Kit, with the Novell
SLED 11 preload on the xw4600 and 400 workstations, and from the HP Workstation Support site
at http://www.hp.com/go/workstationsupport.
Driver packages available from HP build proprietary kernel modules provided by the graphics vendors.
They require properly matched kernel development source header files and compiler tools to properly
install on configured workstations. They also require system administrator (root) privileges and a system
restart to complete installation
NOTE: If installation is attempted while an X server is running at system init level 5, then installation
and enablement take place after the workstation is restarted. See individual vendor sections below for
additional installation specifics.
NVIDIA® Graphics Workstations
This section describes NVIDIA graphics configurations for HP Linux workstations.
X Server configuration
HP recommends that you use the interactive configuration utilities provided by Nvidia after you install
their accelerated driver packages.
ENWW Linux graphics drivers for HP workstations 13

If you use the HP version of the tested Nvidia drivers, use the /usr/bin/nvidia-settings command to access
the desktop icon for the graphical utility:
This utility provides access to:
●X Server information
●X Server Display Information - includes screen layouts, display resolutions and timings, and
TwinView™ settings.
●X Screen # - includes color gamma correction, XVideo settings, cursor and OpenGL settings, and
Antialiasing requirements
●GPU # - includes thermal, power, and probed monitor information
Use /usr/bin/nvidia-settings to output a usable X server configuration file. This utility can merge
existing contents, write a clean file, or specify an alternate location so that the X -config startup line can
be used to test a configuration before accepting.
Additional documentation is installed in the /usr/share/doc/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0 directory. This directory
includes:
●README.txt—Complete Nvidia features discussion and X server configuration options
●NVIDIA Changelog—Driver version release notes
●Sample X server configuration files.
SLI Graphics Acceleration
Dual PCIe can be linked together to drive a single graphics display to achieve up to two times more
performance of a single graphics card. This is accomplished through Scalable Link Interface (™), a card-
bridge technology provided by Nvidia. Only specific graphics card models support SLI™ technology,
and SLI requires that the be of the same type (homogenous configuration). For more information on
these advanced settings, see the documentation provided with the drivers.
Xinerama / NVIDIA TwinView
The X.org extension supports continuous display technology on the X server for multiple card and
monitor configurations. When enabled, it changes independent displays to continuous displays.
Xinerama is configured with a ServerFlags option or enabled with a command-line option. Additionally,
NVIDIA cards recognize TwinView configuration options to manage continuous desktops across
screens hosted on the same card. The /usr/bin/nvidia-settings configuration tool provides the most
accurate and reliable management of these options for multiple NVIDIA .
30-bit (10-bit-per-channel) X Visuals
Except for NVS-series cards, NVIDIA Quadro® cards with G80 or later GPUs support internal circuitry
for 30-bit (10-bit-per-channel) color. Cards that support the DisplayPort connection standard can
generate signals to drive select high-color-gamut DisplayPort monitors (including the HP DreamColor
14 Chapter 4 Linux graphics for HP workstations ENWW

Professional Displays). These cards have higher fidelity than standard DVI-driven or VGA-driven
monitors that support 24-bit, 8-bit-per-channel signals.
Work to support 30-bit visuals on the enterprise desktop is ongoing with X.org X servers at X11 R7.4 or
later. (To correctly manage mixed 30-bit and 24-bit visual requests, these servers require later versions
of GDM , Gnome, and KDE display managers). For more information on these advanced settings, see
the documentation provided with the drivers and the Linux distribution.
AMD® / ATI graphics workstations
ATI™ provides a command line tool to automatically configure the Xorg configuration file /etc/X11/
xorg.conf. The aticonfig tool should be used immediately after the ATI graphics driver is installed to
perform the initial configuration of the xorg.conf file.
NOTE: The ATI graphics driver will not become functional until the following command is issued:
<prompt> # aticonfig --initial
HP recommends the interactive configuration utilities provided by ATI. These utilities provide access to:
●3D Performance Management
●X Server Display Information and Management- including screen layouts, display resolutions and
timings, multi-display settings and Xinerama.
●X Screen # - including color gamma correction, XVideo settings, and Antialiasing requirements
●GPU # - including vbios version, clock speed, driver, and probed monitor information
Configuration changes can be previewed and saved by clicking “Apply” in the utilty interface.
Additional documentation in html format is installed in the /usr/share/doc/ati directory.
In addition to the Catalyst Control Center application, some of the features that can be configured using
the aticonfig application include:
●Xinerama— the X.org/XFree86 extension that supports continuous display technology on the X
server. When enabled, it changes independent displays to continuous displays. Xinerama is
configured with a ServerFlags option or enabled with a command-line option.
NOTE: Xinerama only supports accelerated 3D between screens controlled by independent
cards with the most recent Nvidia drivers (not ATI drivers). The NVIDIA-settings applet tool supports
interactive configuration of this and other layout-specific features for the X server.
●ATI Big Desktop–an ATI-specific driver configuration mode that supports Xinerama-like
functionality across the two video ports of an ATI graphics card. When configured, it allows the X
server to manage dual video ports as one independent display. User windows can traverse the
entire graphics card framebuffer
NOTE: This mode is configurable only with the aticonfig configuration tool provided by ATI.
●ATI Overdrive—enables you to change core or memory clock values.
ENWW AMD® / ATI graphics workstations 15

NOTE: Use of this feature may reduce the life of the graphics card.
●Framelock/ Genlock—Genlock is commonly used in video post-production, nonlinear editing
(NLE), and broadcast studios. Its ensures that workstation graphics output is locked (LOCK) to an
externally generated (GEN) signal. This guarantees that the studio’s devices (cameras, videotape
recorders, or character or title generators) work together effectively.
Frame lock uses hardware to synchronize the frames on each display in a connected system. When
graphics and video are displayed across multiple monitors, framelocked systems help maintain
image continuity to create a virtual canvas. Frame lock is especially critical for stereo viewing,
where the left and right fields must be in sync across all displays.
Troubleshooting
When editing an xorg.conf or XF86Config X server configuration file, know that each time the X server
is started it writes out the /var/log/Xorg.0.log or /var/log/XFree86.0.log log file. If the results are not as
expected, or the X server fails to start, check this log file. The X server and OEM accelerated drivers
write configuration confirmations, warnings, and errors to this file.
Most often you can resolve configuration issues based simply on output in the log file. If you want
additional X server debugging output, start the X server manually with a request for verbose logging:
X -logverbose 6 -s -ac 0 :0
This example outputs a level 6 detailed set of messages into the /var/log/Xorg.0.log file.
For technical support of Nvidia drivers, use the /usr/bin/nvidia-bug-report.sh system profiling utility. This
utility generates nvidia-bug-report.log—a comprehensive report to further diagnose configuration
issues.
16 Chapter 4 Linux graphics for HP workstations ENWW